A sassy orange fluffball and her mellow multicolored sister are turning heads—and hearts—at a Madison-area animal shelter brimming with cats and hope.
Bailey and Georgia aren’t household names—yet. But if you ask the volunteers at the Green County Humane Society, they’re already little legends. The pair of kitten sisters is this week’s star attraction at the shelter, where more than 100 cats and kittens are waiting for homes. And as kitten season hits its summer peak, the stakes—and the cuddles—are high.
Meet the Girls Stealing the Show
Erin Emery, who’s practically a fixture at Green County Humane Society, stopped by WMTV on Wednesday and wasted no time introducing Bailey and Georgia. You could see it in her grin—these two aren’t just adorable. They’re characters.
Bailey, a bright orange tabby with what Emery calls a “feisty” streak, is the kind of cat who makes her presence known. Loud purrs. Big eyes. Zero fear. Classic redhead energy.
“She’s got opinions,” Emery laughed. “Bailey’s the type to run the household… even if it’s not hers yet.”
Georgia, her quieter counterpart, wears a patchwork coat of soft oranges and gentle grays. She’s the laid-back one. Chill in the lap, chill on the couch, chill in a carrier—Georgia’s good anywhere.
They’re sisters, and while they can be adopted separately, the staff is hoping someone out there will take the leap and bring them both home. They argue like siblings but cuddle like soulmates.
Summer Flood of Felines Hits Local Shelters
Green County isn’t alone. Kitten season—yes, it’s a real thing—is the summer rush of births that floods shelters across the country each year. Unspayed cats, warm weather, and long days create the perfect storm of litters.
And this year, it’s been intense.
Emery said their shelter is juggling over 100 kittens right now, split between the facility and a network of foster homes. That’s everything from one-day-old neonates to gangly teens with zoomies and claws.
“It’s rewarding but exhausting,” she admitted. “You’re bottle-feeding one minute and mopping the next.”
A single pair of breeding cats and their offspring can produce over 400,000 cats in just seven years, according to the ASPCA. That’s not a typo.
Shelters across Wisconsin—and the nation—are running on full.
It’s Not Just About Adoptions—It’s About Space, Too
Sure, getting Bailey and Georgia into a home is the goal. But Emery says they’re just the tip of the tail.
The shelter is also trying to raise funds to upgrade their aging cat condos. Most of the existing units have seen better days. Think chipped plastic, scratched plexiglass, and doors that don’t quite close all the way anymore.
So, they’re getting creative. On July 7, they’re hosting a “staff sleepover”—yes, really. Volunteers and employees will camp out overnight at the shelter in what they hope will be both a fundraiser and a social media hit.
One goal: replace the cat housing.
• “These condos are their homes until they get a real home,” Emery said. “They deserve comfort too.”
The overnight event will include livestreams, staff Q&As, and plenty of fuzzy cameos. Emery hinted at midnight cuddle sessions and at least one movie screening featuring—you guessed it—The Aristocats.
Your Cat Could Be Famous, Too
There’s also something a bit more glamorous happening: a photo contest.
The shelter’s putting together its annual “Tails of the Year” calendar for 2026, and it’s open for submissions. Wisconsinites are encouraged to send in their best pet pics—cute, dramatic, or downright weird. If your cat knows how to smize, now’s the time.
It’s five bucks to enter, and all funds go toward helping animals at the shelter.
Here’s what last year’s calendar contest looked like:
| Category | Entries in 2025 | Winner Prize | Funds Raised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutest Kitten | 84 | Gift Basket + Feature | $1,200 |
| Grumpiest Face | 47 | Framed Poster | $710 |
| Best Cat-Dog Combo | 59 | Free Vet Checkup | $980 |
| Total | 190 | N/A | $2,890 |
There’s no rule against submitting photos of shelter pets you just adopted, so yes—Bailey and Georgia could technically win their own calendar spread.
More Than Fluff: The Emotional Side of Fostering
It’s easy to talk about the numbers. How many cats. How many litters. How many adoptions. But there’s a softer layer too.
“Every kitten has a story,” Emery said, pausing for a second. “Some of them start really rough.”
She shared the story of a litter abandoned in a box outside a gas station, found soaking wet after a thunderstorm. All but one survived. The survivor? Now happily adopted and renamed Luna, she visits the shelter regularly.
Fostering, Emery said, saves lives—literally. The more fosters they have, the more cats they can pull in from local pounds, strays, or emergency situations.
The shelter’s foster training program takes under two hours. You don’t need to be a vet or a cat whisperer. Just a warm lap and a willingness to learn.
Georgia’s Calm, Bailey’s Bold—and They Both Deserve a Chance
Back to the stars of the week.
Bailey and Georgia don’t know about the sleepover or the fundraising or the calendar contest. They just know when it’s mealtime, playtime, or naptime.
They’ll chase toy mice, pounce on shadows, and wrestle each other off the sofa like it’s a WWE match for most of the afternoon.
Then they’ll curl up together like puzzle pieces, orange and calico, in the same bed they’ve shared since birth.
One’s bold. One’s soft. Both are waiting.
